At the GOP Convention, Something Is Fishy

SAN DIEGO
— Bob Dole came to San Diego looking for a bounce. I came looking for a fish taco.

I'd heard they were good here. Quality wasn't my first question, however. Inquiring minds wanted to know - do these things really exist? And are they served with squid-flavored corn chips?

I had a lot of help finding them. After mentioning TacoQuest in print, I received a very kind fax from someone at the San Diego Union Tribune, steering me to a place in the Old Town quarter. A convention worker, too, stopped by with a list of fish-taco hot spots. I started getting taco-related phone calls in my hotel room.

Dogged research, which consisted largely of reading a seven-year-old news clipping hanging on Rubio's wall, revealed that fish tacos are a Mexican dish from Baja California that has migrated up the coast. The original version consists of fried fish bits, shredded lettuce, white sauce, and a dash of lime, all wrapped in a soft corn tortilla. The upscale choice replaces the fish bits with strips of grilled mahi-mahi.

Rubio's also had shrimp burritos. No squid corn snacks, though. (Don't laugh. They're popular in Japan.)

It's a concept I think could make it elsewhere in the country. Buffalo has its wings. Why not San Diego tacos?

Meanwhile, I'm on to Chicago and the Democratic convention. Did I hear somebody say "deep dish pizza"?